GOING INTO WINTER QUARTERS 27 



once, and the soil sowed with rye, the best late cover-crop. 

 Rye is hardy, and in places where the winter comes slowly 

 it will often make a little growth to protect the surface of 

 the soil against the rains of late fall and early spring. When 

 turned under in the spring, it will make good manure. 



Of course the dead plants should be thrown on the compost 

 heap, there to rot and make humus for the future. 



Dahlias, Jerusalem artichoke, potatoes, carrots, and all 

 tender roots should at this time be dug. 



And now begins a second fight against the frost. The 

 endeavor is to prolong the lives of the hardy plants. Of 

 course the gardener will be beaten, but again he can save 

 sometimes for weeks his plants or fruit. The same coverings 

 that were used for the tender plants are used for the hardy 

 ones. One thing the gardener should remember : not to un- 

 cover the plants in the morning until the frost has begun to 

 yield to the sun. 



Wherever it is too late to plant rye, the gardener should 

 spade the ground. How to do this is described in Chapter 

 XXXIV. The gardener should spade deeply. This will 

 freshen the soil for the spring, so that the "spring fitting" 

 is made easier. It will also rout the insects out of the nests 

 they have made against the winter, and cause them to be killed 

 by the frost. It will let the frost go more deeply into the 

 ground. The spaded ground should be left with a rough sur- 

 face, to prevent much washing by the rains. 



If it is decided to set in the fall such plants as peonies or 

 iris or lily of the valley, it is proper to do so as soon as their 

 leaves are dead. Give them plenty of earth, set them as 

 deep as they were before, pack the, earth firmly around them ; 

 and when the ground freezes, bed them with manure or 

 leaves to the depth of three or four inches. 



This is an excellent chance to prepare next year's garden, 



